RECOUNT : A Hiking Trip

During the last school holidays my family decided to visit the great outdoors. We had decided to hike up Gunung Pulai in Kulai. Early on Saturday morning, I helped my mother pack essentials like water bottles, freshly cut fruit and some sandwiches. Meanwhile, my father and brother were in charge of the equipment such as binoculars, camera and hiking sticks. We departed at around 6.30am in order to make it to the top before the sun got too hot.

Gunung Pulai was already quite crowded by the time we arrived. There were many morning hikers and families that had come to enjoy the trek up too. We opted for an easy waterfall trail which was about 3 KM long and not very steep. Some avid nature lovers took the challenging route that would bring them to the peak some 7KM away. 

During our journey to the falls, I marvelled at the wonders of nature surrounding us. It was easy to get lost among the gigantic trees, cool wind and distant calls of families of monkeys. My brother and I started a scavenger hunt. We had prepared a list of various elements of nature and tried to capture pictures of everything on the list. Father did a little bird watching while mother was captivated by the different exotic looking jungle flower species that we passed.

At around 8am, we could hear the bubbling, rushing water from the falls. Soon we arrived at a small, fast-flowing stream. Mother unpacked our snacks and we set up a small picnic mat by the river. My brother and I enjoyed a refreshing dip in the crystal clear and ice-cold water as father and mother decided to unwind with a steaming cup of coffee and books. 

Finally, we decided to call it a day at around 11am . The weather was getting warmer and the scorching heat made it impossible to hang around much longer. After the downhill trek back to our car, we arrived home at about 12pm. I felt completely exhausted and my muscles ached after the workout. Nevertheless, I was rejuvenated and fulfilled as the trip allowed me to spend quality time with my family and appreciate the marvels of Mother Nature. I hope that such outings become a regular feature for our family. 

RECOUNT ESSAY : My Most Embarrassing Memory

  Everyone has been embarrassed at one time or another. It is that moment in time when you wish _________________________. The anxiety and discomfort felt during that time which may only last a few seconds feels like time has stood still.

         I remember so well when I had my most embarrassing moment. I was in Form 4 and it was during the school recess hour. The minute the bell rang for recess, I rushed to the toilet because___________________________________. I didn’t want to miss class because the lesson taught that morning was to include tips for the forthcoming examination.

         Without realising, I had rushed to the girls’ toilet. The prolonged control and an upset stomach made worse by two glasses of cold milk in the morning made me grunt and groan in what I thought was the privacy of the male cubicle. I thought I heard giggling outside and wondered why the giggles sounded unusually near. A few minutes later I came out the cubicle and discovered to my horror that I had __________________. To make matters worse, the few girls standing outside didn’t even turn away when I came out. Instead they looked down at me, and only then turned their heads in the opposite direction. Horror of horrors, I had forgotten________________! No beetroot could have matched the colour of my face at this point in time!

         The news of my predicament spread _______________ throughout school. I was truly the talk ______________. I felt like I could either walk around feeling perpetually self-conscious and embarrassed or I could turn the situation round, perhaps even to my advantage. I remembered my mother’s words that _______________________. So I decided to make fun of myself. Everyone got bored after a while and nobody teased me after that.

         It was indeed an eye-opening experience for me. I have learnt that when people laugh at you, _________________________. You must not take yourself seriously. Learn to look at yourself through _____________________ and you will realise that most of the time when they laugh at you, they just want to have some fun. They mean no harm. So smile, while you still have teeth!

Answers

1. the earth would open up and swallow you

2. I had been controlling my urges since class started

3. entered the girls’ toilet

4.  to zip up

5.  like wildfire

6. of the town

7. ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’

8. you should laugh along

9. other people’s eyes